February 15, 1913 



HOETICULTUEE 



213 



NOTES ON CULTURE OF FLORISTS' STOCK 



CONDUCTED BT 



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Questions by our readers In line with any of the topics presented on this page will be cordially received and promptly answered 

 by Mr. Farrell. Such communications should invariably be addressed to the office of HORTICULTURE. 



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Begonia Gloire de Lorraine 



The first two or three lots of leaf cuttings are now in 

 %y<2, inch pots; those placed in the sand after the New 

 Year are nearly all ready to be potted. The average tem- 

 perature for the newly-rooted and potted small plants 

 should not be below 65 degrees at night, a trifle higher 

 being better. When established, 5 degrees lower will do 

 nicely. No manure should be used in the soil in the first 

 two transplantings ; a very sandy and porous soil, loam, 

 sod or leaf mould suits rooted cutting the best. In the 

 soil for later shifts, some old well-rotted manure is inter- 

 mixed, in greatest quantity at the last transplanting in 

 August or September. But the one point most impor- 

 tant of all is care in watering, especially during periods 

 of prolonged wet, rainy, misty or gloomy weather, while 

 the plants are still in their infancy. When potting 

 rooted cuttings or in repotting older plants, great pres- 

 sure should not be exerted in firming the soil too hard. 

 To insure plants of symmetrical shape judicious pinch- 

 ing in is resorted to and begins before the second shift 

 becomes necessary. Now that there is more sun and light 

 they will grow very rapidly. 



Care of Adiantom Farleyense 



Propagation can be done by division of the large speci- 

 mens. They can be broken up into single crown or clus- 

 ters of several crowns and these potted into small pots, 

 using a very sandy and peaty soil, and placed on a bottom 

 heated bench, kept moderately moist and heavily shaded 

 until well established. For propagation on a somewhat 

 larger scale the more proper plan is to divide into single 

 crowns only ; to insert these into the sand of a propagat- 

 ing bench with brisk bottom heat and a house tempera- 

 ture of about Go degrees, to let them there form compact 

 clumps of new roots and then pot them up carefully and 

 again place the potted little plants over bottom heat, 

 later on separating them into several grades according 

 to difference in growth and corresponding difference in 

 subsequent treatment. When these are firmly rooted 

 they should be potted into 2-inch pots. A good sod soil, 

 to which fine gravel or coarse sand and some peat or leaf 

 mould is added suits these ferns. Larger specimens are 

 benefited by a goodly quantity of well-rotted stable ma- 

 nure in their soil, and when thus grown for cutting pur- 

 poses their fronds will prove more substantial for use 

 and longer lived, especially if produced under unre- 

 stricted light with but a slight shading against bright 



sun. 



Dutch Bulbs for Easter 



It is time to get all Dutch bulbs well under way so as 

 to be just right for Easter. From now and right to 

 Easter we are liable to have very whimsical weather so 

 see that the bulbs have a good start. All such kinds as 



hyacinth, narcissi, tulips, etc., can now be subjected to 

 pretty severe forcing which can be followed by a few 

 days or a week of hardening off in a much lower tempera- 

 ture. Tulips come finest when forced in high heat 

 about 70 degrees and then gradually hardened off in 

 cooler quarters after the bloom is fully out, but bottom 

 heat is at all times detrimental to perfect development. 

 A steady forcing of from three to four weeks will bring 

 tulips into bloom. Dutch hyacinths, narcissi, and some 

 other bulbs belonging to this class can be grown m a 

 temperature of about 60 degrees. They are then made 

 to look their gayest, when fully out, by being grown 

 slowly in a light, cool house on a bench affording moder- 

 ate bottom heat. When they are well expanded they 

 should be placed in a cool house and shaded from the 

 strong sun. 



Euphorbia Jacquinaeflora 



Few other plants under cultivation produce more bril- 

 liantly colored or longer-lasting flowers than Euphorbia 

 Jacquinaeflora, probably better known as Euphorbia ful- 

 gens. At this season, when the wood of the preceding 

 year has reached the proper degree of maturity and 

 steady bottom heat can still be depended upon, the prop- 

 agation of Euphorbia fulgens is least beset by difBculties. 

 The best ripened part of the youngest canes furnishes the 

 cuttings, short lengths with two or more eyes to each. 

 These pieces, with a somewhat slanting cut at the lower 

 end, are spread on a board, or on paper, for about a day 

 or until the bleeding has ceased. They can be placed in 

 a propagating bed, with an atmospheric temperature of 

 60 or 65 degrees and 10 degrees higlier in the sand. With 

 a steady and evenly held temperature and a congenially 

 liumid and somewhat close atmosphere they will soon 

 root. Wlien potting give a compost of two parts of 

 turfy sod, or well fibred loam, one part of very sandy 

 leaf mold and the remaining fourth of thoroughly de- 

 cayed and composted, spent hotbed manure. The plants 

 tlirive best under hothouse culture, in a ^zxva. and rather 

 moist atmosphere, and should have the full light when 

 breaking into new growth. 



Frames of Pansies, etc. 



Frames containing pansies, myosotis, hollyhocks, 

 pinks, daisies, violas, etc., should be held in a frozen 

 state, if they are that now, as long as it can be done by 

 a covering of mats or other non-conducting material. It 

 should be made a point in frame cultures of this kind 

 not to expose hard frozen stock to excessively warm 

 weather until the season is far enough advanced. Cover- 

 ing up pansies too early in the fall, and again uncover- 

 ing them too early in the spring has ruined many a fine 

 lot of them. Pansies for late sales can yet be grown. 

 Sow in boxes, let them grow to sturdy little plants in a 

 cool, well-lighted and well-aired house, and plant into 

 frames in April. 



Geranium Stock Plants 



Every grower should start now and pick out his stock 



